Over the past 2 or 3 years, there
have been a number of documents released by the underground (i.e.
people who have decided that direct action is vital) in the
movement. These have all attempted to bring back the initiative and
new ideas to the real Animal Liberationists, as opposed to the big
national groups (BUAV, Animal Aid, etc.) who try to dictate what
direction the movement should take.

This booklet is for anyone
who wants to see a better world, free of exploitation, whether they
are already involved indirect action, or maybe just thinking about
it. The only requirement for reading this is that the people reading
should be compassionate and open-minded.

As we progress into the
90’s, and the scum of the world carry us along on their
self-destructive course, more than ever we need to stop and take a
serious look at what the future holds, and really decide what we are
willing to do about it.

Written by a few Animal Liberationists,
this booklet hopes to offer some new radical ideas on strategies for
the 90’s. It by no means claims to hold solutions to all the
problems around us, or within the movement. Neither does it claim to
represent the views of all activists.

This booklet is written in
the memory of all those animals (human and non-human) who have been
tortured and killed at the hands of worthless scum, and in the hope
we will stop it. It is also dedicated to those who have had their
liberty taken from them, for fighting for TOTAL
Liberation.

WHAT IS ANIMAL LIBERATION?

Before any of us
embark on a course of action for animals, we should all sit down and
think what it is we really want to achieve. Liberation is definitely
a very different concept from that of “rights” or of “welfare”. The
idea of animal welfare is a concept that fits tidily into the
“Britain – a nation of animal lovers” myth, where it’s perfectly OK
to kill animals, for food for example, as long as there are “humane”
slaughtering methods and they have enough room to turn around inside
their cages whilst they are alive. Animal rights on the other hand,
generally implies that animals should be allowed to live without
interference, but suggests by it’s very title that we should GIVE
these “rights” to them, probably by Parliament and “acts” of law!
Surely, Liberation must mean something much more far reaching than
this; for too long we have lazily used the term “animal rights” for
convenience when we mean something very different.

We probably
all have very different visions of what Animal Liberation involves,
and how to get it. The common ground is that we all hate animal
abuse, and are driven by compassionate reasons to destroy it.
However, Animal Liberation cannot just be about the end of fur
wearing, of vivisection, of meat-eating, of circus animals, of
hunting, etc. etc. (after all surely this is what “animal rights”
is!). Liberation involves every last animal being free or any form
of exploitation and interference.

It would be incredibly naive to
think that all forms of exploitation aren’t inextricably linked, and
that the solutions to the situation would be easily come by. It is
the same governments, multi-national co.’s, institutions, and
abusive throw away attitudes and lifestyles that create animal
abuse, global environmental destruction, and human exploitation.
This is why many would argue that Animal Liberation symbolises (and
has even been described by those outside the movement as such) the
ultimate Liberation movement, because it challenges systematic abuse
of all forms.

So, as arguably the most revolutionary force that
exists, Animal Liberation will be total and absolute; and because
all forms of abuse are linked it will undoubtedly result in a change
in ALL we know.

A SENSE OF URGENCY

When the Animal
Liberation movement first started to grow it was with a sudden
realisation of what was happening to animals all around us. It was a
time of active campaigning by a variety of movements; the vanguard
of which, even the police say, was the Animal Liberation movement,
though the peace movement was also very prominent (CND, etc.).
Direct Action was a reality; people broke into labs and factory
farms where the animals were, instead of taking more indirect
approaches. There was a feeling of strength within the movement as
it progressed, and the early eighties seemed like the beginning of
the end of animal abuse.

The movement was united with public
campaigns and direct action both complemented each other, everyone
was hearing about lab animals, about factory farms and fur, and a
lot more besides. Marches and demos were starting up all over the
place with thousands of people often attending. A large proportion
of activists took up direct action – every form of animal abuse was
hit, all suffering a real shock to the system; worst of all being
the fur trade which has never recovered to its old ways.

Then in
the late Eighties, it all slowed down. This was due to a whole
variety of reason the larger campaigning groups denouncing direct
action and choosing to run like businesses, giving their employees
fat salaries to lobby politicians; police arresting dozen of
activists and many show trials with large prison sentences
resulting; and perhaps more worrying a general sense of apathy
throughout all the movements, thanks to a particularly oppressive
Govt.

All is certainly not lost. We know that groups like the
BUAV and Animal Aid betray the animals (in fact, are
counter-revolutionary), and we also know the strength of the
opposition – the police and system will try to lock us up for as
long as possible. The Animal Liberation movement has surfaced as the
strongest movement in the 90’s. Local groups are building up their
campaigns and resources, and direct action has seen a huge increase
in the first 3 years of this decade.

BUT, and this cannot be
stressed too much, we have only just seen the smallest part of our
potential fulfilled. We really must bring back a sense of urgency
into our lives, and actions must follow this. Never before has the
situation been so desperate: billions of animals are killed every
year, literally 1000’s as you read this sentence; the whole planet s
being raped of it’s beauty; land, air and water are being saturated
with chemicals; and two thirds of people can’t even get enough food
to eat. All of this, while we live very comfortable lives in the
Western capitalist countries, enjoying when others suffer. Within
the next 200 years we may have destroyed the world around us. The
purpose of this booklet is not to guilt-trip people, but to remind
us all that we have the capabilities to change the future.

If we
do not fight now, there will come a time within our lifetimes, when
there will be nothing worth fighting for.

PUBLIC
CAMPAIGNING AND OPINION

Once we have broken free of the chains of
ignorance and apathy, we all realise that something needs to be
done; most of us know that feeling of desperation. The first thing
that most people try and do is tell others about what we have
discovered. More often than not, people join a group, perhaps even
their local group. The public campaigning that results from all this
is an integral part of the Animal Liberation movement. It has its
successes and is a very admirable task; many people have been aware
of a huge range of issues, and some have acted upon this
information, by becoming vegetarian or vegan, etc. Problems:

1)
Public campaigning does have its limits. For instance most people
know that there are animals in labs and in factory farms, or that
their dinner was in fact once an animal. They may not know the full
facts, and that is where public campaigning has it’s role, but we
face a huge amount of propaganda to overcome their lack of
awareness. The crazy consumerist capitalist system we live in has
enough resources to force fecd propaganda to blind the public for a
long, long time to come and the authorities know that we cannot
achieve Animal Liberation by working completely within the law (i.e.
the system THEY created). They will only ever give us as much power
as they think is not threatening to their interests, which are
directly linked to animal, human, and environmental abuse. Then
there are those who, for one reason or another just do not care!
Anyone who has campaigned will know there are people who just will
not change.

2) Lastly there are those people who are actually
involved in animal abuse, or any other abuse for that matter. They
will either defend their activities to the last, force-feed their
own mass propaganda to the public, or carry on regardless of what
anyone also says.

3) Even we succeed in creating awareness of the
issues, and bring about public opinion and pressure, the successes
are false. For example, 8 out of 10 people oppose hunting, the
wearing of fur, or factory farms, yet all these still exist and have
been through parliament many times. Both the dry sow stall and
cosmetic testing on animals repulse 9 out of 10 people, and have
even had successes in parliament. The result? In 5 or 6 years time,
they will both be phased out in the UK.!! These are our “successes”!
Even sadder, is the tale of whaling; the governments of the world
ACTUALLY decided to ban whaling through public pressure, but still
the slaughter of whales continues because some countries’
governments disagreed! Surely, this tells us that the last place we
will EVER see change is in the hands of politicians.

4) It is
also apparent that people can partake inactivity for activity’s
sake. How many people campaigning have real faith in ALL their
activities? Things like vigils, coffee mornings, etc. may arguably
have their place; but as a regular occurrence, do they really have
any value?

It must be obvious to any sane person that public
campaigning and opinion are important, but extremely limited in
their effects.DIRECT ACTION

This has always been, is,
and will be, by its very nature our most useful and successes
tactic. Direct action has been used by every single revolutionary
struggle that has ever seen any successes; and is widely used in
North and South America, for example, by the native Indians, and
also Earth First in the US using economic sabotage against those who
destroy the world around us. For Animal Liberation it saves animals
lives NOW, and it works because it goes to the core of the problem:
ANIMAL ABUSE!!

No-one wishes they had to break the law, simply
because no-one likes the thought of prison, but if we are to achieve
what we are looking for then we must be prepared to do so. We have
seen, and many of us already know, that the effects of public
campaigning are very limited.Why direct action is so
effective:

1) Animals are rescued from factory farms, labs., and
other abusers, where they would have had tortured lives and been
murdered at the end of them. Hundreds of animal abusers have been
hit in this way; Nuneham Courteney cat breeding colony in Oxford was
closed down after a raid, in 1990, when every last cat was taken,
and activists threatened to return and burn the building down. The
same happened to the rabbit breeders Sky Commercial Rabbits in West
Yorkshire, except the activists DID burn it down after all the
animals were taken! In 1991, the Royal London Hospital was raided:
resulting in the most animals ever freed from a lab; the total cost
of lost research plus some damage caused at the raid came to 2.5
million pounds! These all mom followed a raid at Interfauna animal breeders
in 1990 which signified a return to the grass roots of raids to
rescue animals, seeing X2 beagles and 26 rabbits liberated. Other
places raided since include: Laundry Farm; Bristol University Lab at
Langford; Ware College in Hertfordshire; Beagles from Interfauna.
Lancashire Poly; Park Farm, and the Churchill Hospital in Oxford;
Boots Labs; Riber Wildlife Park, Derbyshire; Stoughton Farm Park,
Leicester; Surrey University’s animal breeders; Kincraig Wildlife
Park; literally dozens of battery farms, pet shops, and animal
breeders and zoos. Thousands of animals are taken every year, with
over 1,680 laboratory animals being liberated, and 1,900 animals
liberated from other abusers, all in just over XX months at the
beginning of this decade, showing how we arc building our potential
up again: INTO THE 90’s! Most labs now, have increased security,
which has cost a lot of money and consistently fails to stop
us!

2) Huge financial costs are being placed on the animal
abusers by “economic sabotage”. This has involved a wide range of
activities inc.; throwing paint stripper over badger baiter’s cars;
gluing locks, and smashing windows of butchers, bookmakers, and
Boots, etc., wrecking vehicles belonging to animal abusers by
smashing windows, destroying tyres, or laying incendiary devices in
the vehicles; and many other methods. These activities get the
animal abusers where it is most effective; in their pockets.
Economic sabotage costs them literally millions every year. Since
the surge of activity in the 90’s, there have been 1000’s of windows
broken all over the country, and well over 100 arson attacks on meat
trucks and animal transporters (the total cost of these attacks
alone is over 6 million pounds). Insurance prices have been pushed up and
some institutions have closed, including a slaughterhouse that had
its trucks burnt out, which closed a few weeks later. The offices of
“Working Terrier” magazine were totally written off in an attack in
1991, as were the Xenopus Biological Suppliers in Sussex.

These
are just a very brief selection of actions so far this decade! The
pressure is on; Boots have admitted that over 60 of their windows
are broken every month, and an arson attack on one of their retail
depots resulted in huge repair costs plus the co. taking widespread
security measures at similar places all over the country. The
capabilities for damage in this way, have been dramatically
increased by the discovery that 2 or 3 people in a car can drive
around firing marbles at windows, breaking up to 80 windows in one
night! At a meat trades fair, where all the big companies and
organisations involved in the dirty industry get together, there was
a security advice firm who were offering assistance as to how to
safeguard against attacks by Animal Liberationists; when the
industry itself acknowledges that there’s a problem then it’s a sure
sign that we’re having an effect.

3) Information can be obtained
by raids into premises that would be impossible to get hold of by
any other means, and also deprive the scum of all the papers they
need for reference. These actions have also been very successful.
One example; a raid in Oxford’s Chuchill Institute resulted in film
of pigs having undergone radiation experiments being released, along
with a large amount of documents. 10’ of 1000’s of pounds worth of
damage was also caused – the experiments stopped a few weeks
later.

These are probably the 3 most important reasons why direct
action is the best and some would argue the only real, solution to
animal abuse. The surge in direct action in the 90’s is a sign that
many of us have felt that a sense of urgency must prevail and that
the solution is to go out there and “get the
bastards.”

DON’T MESS WITH THE PRESS

For a long time
most activists have issued press releases after an action to the
media, whether it’s T.V., radio or newspapers. It was considered
that publicity to explain an action was a vital part of the action.
Even now some believe news coverage is a good idea. It has, to many
activists, become apparent that press releases are not only
non-beneficial, but actually very dangerous.

The following points
are of great importance:

1) Any press coverage relating to an
action for Animal Liberation; is nearly always biased against the
action, whatever that action may be. Little or no parts of the press
release may be used. Terms “loonies”, “vandals” hooligans”, etc. are
commonly used to describe the activists and reinforce people’s much
misled preconceptions of Animal Liberation. Some activists claim
that widespread news coverage incites others to take up direct
action, but there is no evidence of this. Very rarely does any
coverage mention animal abuse, gaining no grounds in terms of
awareness.

2) Contacting the press is a massive risk, and is as
dangerous as the action itself. If a telephone is used, the
conversation may well be recorded or the telephone number the
activist is using, traced to it’s source. If a press release is
written, the police forensics will digest every last piece for
clues.The media will not hesitate for a second to pass on any
information they receive to the police. In some of the larger Animal
Liberation trials a huge proportion of the evidence has been
supplied by the media.

3) We must remember that the media are all
part of the same abusive system that allows animal abuse in the
first place. They have a huge amount of influential power that is
merely used by the authorities as a propaganda machine. For
instance, a member of MI5 sits on the board of the BBC. Most people
within the media are career minded, power hungry scum, who work hand
in hand with the authorities.

Let’s call it a day with the media;
it’s a total waste of time talking to them. The purpose of direct
action is to save animals lives NOW, not to mess about trying to
explain to people why it is necessary; that is the purpose of public
campaigning. Lee’s not mix the two together – that only ends up in
extra risks for activists. To go underground properly, we must not
deal with them; we simply expose ourselves. Who cares if people know
if an action was carried out by Animal Liberationists or not? If we
believe in the need for direct action for Animal Liberation as much
as we say we do, then an action is important enough in it’s own
right!

THE END OF THE A.L.F.?

For deliberate reasons
the name A.L.F. has not been used so far. This is to prove that it
is perfectly possible to talk about direct action without needing
the identity of a name. For a long time now, the name Animal
Liberation Front has been used as a label for direct action for
Animal Liberation. Perhaps the time has now come when, not only is
the name invalid, but it is also an added risk to carry on using
it.

Surely the only real purpose of using the name A.L.F. was in
press releases, to establish a solid identity in the public and
authorities’ minds of what Animal Liberation was and why it was
carried out. That has worked; most people have heard of it all one
way or another. If we follow the argument through regarding
press-releases, and why we should stop them, then surely that makes
the name A.L.F. invalid; it has served it’s tactical
purpose.

Activists have always known that there is no
organisation, or membership of the A.L.F.; it is merely a name of an
action. Yet there are many who really do believe there is more to
it, and the idea that you have to join an elite organisation still
persists with many in the movement. To create an identity of a set
group of people means it encourages people to support a group rather
than the cause, and allows people to sit back and be “supporters”
rather than activists. The situation has reached a ridiculous stage,
where the majority of people who believe in animal rights have been
persuaded by the National Societies that direct action is
“cowardly”, and of the others in the movement 95% wear the A.L.F.
badges and T-shirts but will never take action themselves. And if
this is the case, then surely it is detrimental to encouraging new
people to take up the struggle in direct action, to perpetuate the
myth of the A.L.F.?

Another example proves how it can actually be
dangerous to perpetuate this myth. The police have made great use of
the name A.L.F. in propaganda. If arrests take place relating in any
way to Animal Liberation, then activists are accused of being
“neo-terrorist cell members of the A.L.F.” If we now bury the use of
names for actions, then no longer can this be got away with in a
court room. By creating an image of cold-hearted neo-terrorists,
through the identity of a name, and it’s implied membership and
rules, the police and authorities know a jury will see a great
divide between themselves and the activists facing charges.

Other
complications result in the continuing use of the name A.L.F. For
instance, there have to be precise terms on what constitutes an
A.L.F. action; i.e., does it “fit” within the “policies”. If it’s
“decided” an action does not come under these terms, then we reach
the ridiculous levels of having to invent other names for actions,
such as the Animal Rights Militia! Who cares what bloody name is
used for an action – we have no real need for any of this; an action
for Animal Liberation is what it is.

GOING
UNDERGROUND

There is no doubt that our movement suffers from a
serious lack of money, and that our successes are run on a minute
amount of cash. Also, there is only a fraction of the amount of
people in the movement taking up direct action that are capable of
doing so. These are huge problems to overcome. However, our biggest
downfall has been that we have not gone underground. So often people
have not prepared adequately for the task ahead.

Most people who
decide to take up direct action have been involved in legal
campaigning, and local groups etc. Unfortunately, they nearly always
have carried on with these campaigns whilst undertaking direct
action. This must be one of the biggest mistakes that could be made,
and is one of the main reasons that people have been arrested and
imprisoned. The police keep a very vigilant eye on, what is, in
terms of their resources, a small movement. If people carry on ANY
form of legal campaigning whilst carrying out direct action, it is
merely attracting attention to themselves, because the police know
from experience of infiltrating the movement in the past, it has
been the most active people campaigning who have nearly always been
the most active illegally. We simply MUST stop this mistake NOW!
Once someone has decided that direct action is the best way to right
for Animal Liberation, then the seriousness of the action must be
realised. Because direct action works, and because it attacks the
very core that abusive modern society is based on, the authorities
in the system will do all they can to stop it. Thus, any activist
really should do all they can to remain anonymous and quiet as a
shadow, because the stakes are very high – the longer an activist
keeps fighting, the more animals are saved and the closer Total
Liberation. Also it means freedom, as opposed to imprisonment for
the activists themselves.

There’s no way that someone should
insist on handing out leaflets to someone, especially if they
actually have little faith in that activity and whilst they are
carrying out acts of REAL Liberation that involve high
risks.

Some very, basic ideas on how to go underground and remain
active, learning from some obvious mistakes in the past, would
include:

1) As soon as someone has realised that they are going
to take up direct action then it is wise to stop any other kind of
work within the movement, and stay like this until well after they
have given up direct action.

2) It is worth leaving a gap between
any work you were doing within the movement before taking up direct
action, and using this time to prepare. Leaving gaps of weeks or
months between periods of high activity, or serious actions is wise.
Although difficult for most, it is also advantageous to move house
or flat as often as possible.

3) Preparation would involve
spending time getting money together to fund actions, and also to
buy tools, vehicles, and general equipment. Scouting out different
areas and checking out animal abusers within those areas is
advisable, whilst also arranging for safe houses and places, and
people interested in taking in animals.

4) Actions are best
carried out in another part of the country from where you live,
preferably at least a couple of counties away. To “shit in your own
back yard” is very tempting, bur has led to many arrests by giving
the police an easy ride by not having to look far for the culprits.
When there are periods of high activity in an area, the police
quickly respond by setting up intense surveillance to watch
local/regional animal rights campaigners, or people living in that
county/region who have previous convictions for Animal Liberation
related activities. For this reason it is also advisable not to
associate at all with local animal rights groups, or people in
them.

5) Only ever work with the minimal amount of people; and
make sure the trust between you is total. Try not to have a social
life that revolves around the same people you carry out actions with
– the police can (and have done so in the past) try to allege a
“conspiracy” if one of you is arrested, and they can prove you all
know each other and share a common belief towards Animal Liberation.
Generally speaking, this isn’t too much of a risk as long as you
don’t all frequent the same place (someone’s house, for instance)
regularly.

6) Never talk about actions with anybody – even those
people who you undertook that action with.

7) Never go back to
the scene of a crime, especially never soon after, to see the
success – the police will be watching for the slightest clue. (Many
criminals of all sorts have been caught in this needless way to
checking out the result of their crime.)

8) NEVER EVER talk in a
building, even if you think it is the safest place in the world
because the police have put bugs against activists in the most
unlikely places. Anything that can be to be connected to illegal
activities or subversive ideas should be discussed somewhere very
safe. This point could never be stressed too much; some extremely
clever and efficient activists have been caught out by this. It’s so
easy to get lazy and start talking in a friend’s place: just don’t
do it. There probably isn’t anything much worse than seeing your own
words written down in black and white that you spoke a few weeks
earlier used in evidence against you! Obviously, nothing dodgy
should be said on the phone either, and it is worth remembering that
if the cops are tapping your phone they will probably be tapping the
public boxes nearby as well. No phone or building is safe – a simple
security procedure that is worth the small effort.

9) Make sure
that your address is clear of anything that could link you with an
“animal rights/liberation” philosophy, especially not anything
illegal.

10) Constantly assess your aims, methods and strategies,
and keep a sense of realism and cool about your planning. Gradually
gaining the courage to carry out direct action regularly, takes some
time. However, once the realisation that it is quite easy has hit
you, it is important to remember exactly what you are up against. It
has too often been the case that success can lead to
over-confidence, which in turn can lead to recklessness.

These
are just very basic points to consider. Unfortunately, in the past,
Animal Liberationists have been caught out by all of these problems,
by falling into the easy trap of the “it can’t really happen to me”
way of thinking. Well it can, and has done; and unless we really do
decide to go completely underground and treat Animal Liberation as
seriously as it deserves, it will continue to do so!

So what
about all the T-shirts and the A.L.F. supporters group? They can
simply; and more appropriately say: “I support Animal Liberation”
(as opposed to the A.L.F.)., and it can be the Animal Liberationists
supporters group etc, etc. There is no part of the movement that
would be worse off without the name Animal Liberation Front,
although here would be no need for a press office/officer. If all
the arguments are followed through, then the concept of a press
office is a redundant one; it’s existence just promotes, further
still, the idea of an actual organisation, and ends up in a good
person probably getting charged with a serious offence (inciting
others to commit direct action has been the favourite used by the
police in the past) and spending a good few years in prison.
Speeches on demos, and at meetings; literature and merchandise; and
all the other current roles of the press office can all be easily
performed by other people and groups:

We’ve seen the possible
benefits of using names in the past, but we must now consider the
future. If we really are to go underground, then the question must
not be; what are the reasons for NOT using the name A.L.F.?, but,
what ARE the reasons for still using it, in light of all it’s
dangers and drawbacks?!

THE POLICE

Once people have
decided to take up direct action, then the police must figure in
their thoughts; by getting involved in the struggle in it’s most
powerful and effective form, you’re taking on the whole system.
Let’s make no mistakes; the police have virtually unlimited
resources, and they will use everything they’ve got against what
they call “subversive” activities. For instance, their special team
in New Scotland Yard, the Animal Rights National index has files on
over 20,000 people. In the past it is known the police have done all
of the following (amongst many others): watched homes for months at
a time; bugged rooms within those homes; tapped telephones; bugged
cars, and placed trace devices in the cars; used directional
microphones to listen to conversations in open laces; followed
people around cities, or even travelling long distances, on foot and
in cars or motorbikes; opened post; searched through rubbish bags;
etc., etc.

There are also rumours that MI5 are to feature more
prominently in the State’s attempt stop the struggle for Animal
Liberation (there is no doubt that they already collate some
information and even get involved in some highly sensitive work).
The filth are constantly becoming more militarised all the time
anyway which can be shown by the large amount of weaponry being
purchased by the filth. 4 activists arrested in Huddersfield in 1991
were arrested with the help of dick head macho cops with rifles
which were used as a terror tactic against the activists – and they
call US the terrorists?! As the future beckons and no doubt the
f*cked up world we live in starts to witness its own collapse, the
system will act more heavily than it ever has done in the past; and
so serious military involvement in the detection of acts of Total
Liberation will increase! We’ll have to prepare for this, although
in the near future most activists will probably not come across
armed cops.

As activists, it is wise to be aware of all this.
HOWEVER, they cannot read your mind and they are not, by any means,
perfect, and paranoia will only serve to fail the animals, and
hinder progress. Luckily, their bureaucracies, and hierachial
structures and organisation mean they arc not quite as effective or
clever as they could be. Many activists have never been arrested,
and those who have arc likely to have had months or years of
activity beforehand.

The time has never been better to act for
Liberation. We now know the worst the system has to offer, and we’ve
already seen people spend years in prison in one stretch.
Technology, and also the resources in general, that the State has at
it’s disposal are improving and increasing all the time. Before we
know it, if we’re not careful the chance will have gone and we can
say good-bye forever to what is, at the moment, a possibility! The
most important things to remember are preparation and care. There
are publications which cover the ins and outs of direct action
itself.

The police are, and we must keep reminding ourselves of
this, the protectorate of animal abuse and all the other shit in the
world. The British Govt has tried long and hard to maintain the
friendly bobby image; the idea that police are just “citizens” like
you and the who are there to help us, just dressed in a uniform for
identity. This is bollocks! We see often on the T.V. how, in most
areas in the world, the police are the weapons of oppression used by
some dictator; or military regime: the people are shot, or tortured.
It’s exactly the same principle here, except due to the sly way the
authorities work in this country, many people do not see the
similarities. The media play an important role in creating a barrier
of ignorance between the reality and the public’s conception of the
cops. Racism and sexism are rampant within the police forces,
because the police are an all white male institution (the few women
or “ethnics” in there are only there to fill minimal quotas used for
propaganda purposes) led by twisted principles designed to protect
the ruling class. The result is therefore an aggressive, violent,
corrupt and immoral system that would like nothing more, and they’ve
all stated this in public, to bring back hanging, carry guns, take
away the right to remain silent, lock tip “problem” children, and
many more perverse ideas.

As far as racism is concerned, the
Metropolitan police (London cops) are statistically the worst
(caution must always he employed when viewing ANY statistics on the
police force because they will only ever represent the tip of the
iceberg). Two separate studies have shown that in Lambeth in London,
Blacks are twice as likely to get stopped than Whites, whilst West
Indians are 4 times more likely to get stopped than anyone else in
the whole of London. Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (P.T.A.)
Irish people are continually racially harassed by the filth. For
example, between 1974 and 1986; 6,246 people were detained in
connection with N. Ireland. Over 2/3 of these took place at ports or
airports, and 912 were detained for more than 48 hours. More
disturbing is that 87% were never charged or given an exclusion
order (i.e. were totally INNOCENT!) and many who do have exclusion
orders placed against them not to enter the UK., have absolutely no
evidence put forward against them to link them to any illegal
activities. In fact the P.T.A. is mostly used by the police to
extend their own racist actions and to further political ambitions.
Here, we have only very briefly touched upon examples of the filth’s
racist attitudes.... a whole book could be written on the subject.
The point is that, as often in the past, the Animal Liberation
movement has emphasised the view that activists should be cautious
of, and avoid the police, and more or less left it at that; this is
vitally important, but when it comes to the crunch it will most
likely be the police that be the first and last obstacles facing any
revolutionary force. Therefore, the police shouldn’t merely be
viewed as a side issue to the struggle – far from it – they should
be seen with the contempt they have long deserved!

We’ve all
heard of the big profile miscarriages of justice; Judith Ward,
Tottenham 3; Guildford 4; Birmingham 6; etc., etc. This, again, is
merely the tip of the iceberg. Over a dozen major convictions
brought about by the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad alone have
now been overturned, long after the squad had to be disbanded due to
widespread corruption. That was the one they somehow let the public
find out about! How long will it be before people realise that all
coppers are bent, or so thick they can’t be bent and see what the
rest of the force is up to? Only once people have had dealings with
the police will they have any idea of the true extent of the
problems.

As Animal Liberationists, people should take all this
into consideration; the police are our enemy as they are linked hand
in hand to animal abuse, and will do all they can to stop Animal
Liberation. Anyone who has been out sabbin’ can say that at evcry
level the cops act against us. The filth are responsible for hideous
war crimes against the most compassionate and genuine people you’re
ever likely to meet; hundreds of Animal Liberationists and activists
fighting in other vital movements have been harassed, arrested,
assaulted or incarcerated due to the police, some, for years, and we
must not forgive the police for anything.

Two brief points; NEVER
EVER if people are arrested should they talk in interviews. It MUST
be silence or NO COMMENT. They’ll use every trick in the book to get
you to talk. It is vital not to talk on tape OR any other place for
that matter, except at the desk when you are first inside the cop
shop; give your name, address, and D.O.B. (although if you have it
sorted before you can give false details) but nothing else. It is
well worth reading on your legal rights once under arrest if people
feel unsure about the procedures. One last point on this matter;
let’s not use the term “pigs” to describe the police, it is a deep
insult to the animals. Terms, “filth” or “cops” are much more
suitable.

If we go underground then we will maximise our effect
and minimise the success of the police stopping Animal Liberation.
We must fight like never before.

THE COURTS AND
PRISON

Although it is perhaps negative to talk about prison when
discussing the need for direct action, this booklet would be
incomplete without doing so. Although we all realise the police arc
our biggest threat in direct action, they are only a small part in
the overall proceedings if activists are unfortunate enough to be
arrested and charged with an offence (anyone undertaking direct
action must be fully aware of the situation they place themselves
in, and the very real threat of spending time in prison). Most
matters relating to direct action are serious, so it is very likely
activists would go to trial in front of a judge and jury.

It will
take a few months, at least, from the time of arrest until the
actual trial. During this time the activists will either be kept in
prison on remand, or be given bail, probably with very strict
conditions. Recently activists awaiting trial have been given such
conditions as a curfew (from 9pm to 6am for e.g.) and signing on at
their local police station a few days a week, amongst others. No-one
would deny this is a stressful time especially if kept in on remand;
waiting for an outcome that will decide how long you may be in
prison for. The best thing to do, is keep a sensible head on, keep
mentally and physically fit and prepare your defence case with your
lawyers. This should involve regular contact with a lawyer, and
getting to know, inside out, every statement being used in evidence
against you.

The trial will probably be very tough going, but
this shouldn’t last more than a few weeks. Very basically; the
police will explain their case to the jury, of 12 people, and then
the person(s) defending, give their case. If an activist is found
guilty by the jury, then the judge will decide on the
punishment.

Animal Liberationists are dealt with severely by the
system (after all, the system has everything to lose, when Animal
Liberation becomes a reality) and can nearly always expect a
substantial prison sentence. If a person does end up in prison, it
is important to stay mentally and physically fit. No-one likes
prison; that’s why it’s there; but generally speaking most people
undertaking direct action have mentally prepared themselves for it,
and don’t find it quite as difficult as they thought it would be.
The prisoner support schemes within the movement provide invaluable
help; they offer money to buy things with inside prison, and can
help pay transport costs for visiting, and also send information
around the movement to make sure people receive regular letters of
support. Everyone has their own way of getting through prison; some
read a lot, or learn subjects or exams, whilst others take time to
rest from the stress of direct action, and others try to get
fitter.

Above all we should be prepared for the possibilities of
trials, and prisons; and the shit that they will throw at anyone
they see as “subversive”. Animals’ prisons are so much worse than
ours, all their lives are spent in prisons – the only release being
death. This IS important enough, to be willing to risk some time in
prison – THEY are the terrorists, NOT us, and we must not let their
tactics stop us.

“THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS
WITH THE FIRST STEP.”

It’s so easy to talk about direct action –
we could all do that forever, and nothing would ever get done. We
have tried to explain and show in the booklet so far how it is not
simply a matter of opinion that taking up direct action is by far
the best, and quickest route to achieving Total Liberation, but that
a brief and clear argument can PROVE it is! Some activists would
argue that there is far too much debate (which is certainly not
harmful in principle) and not nearly enough action, and it is quite
likely that action has a direct inverse relationship with talk.
Animals won’t care if people want their freedom, they care if they
get it, so perhaps the time is right to stop trying to decide
whether an action is justified or not, and simply doing the job in
hand.

A quote from Martin Luther King says it all:“Cowardice
asks the question, is it safe?Expediency asks the question, is
it politic?Vanity asks the question, is it popular?But
conscience asks the question, is it right?And there comes a time
when one must take a position that is neither safe; nor politic, nor
popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him that
it is right....”

There are some people who genuinely cannot take
up direct action because they are physically unable, or are single
parents, etc. The rest of us have all got excuses why we can’t, most
of which are total bullshit when it comes down to it. Most of us are
physically able, and totally capable of getting on with the job;
perhaps the only things lacking are experience and know-how. As far
as the know-how is concerned, there are a variety of documents which
cover this, and where experience is concerned; this has to be built
up by each one of us – the first few people who took up direct
action had no-one to ask and we must not use that as excuse for
inactivity now.

There is no doubt that the first step when
someone decides to do an action is a terrifying one. The sweat pours
and the heart beats, but gradually as time passes and the regularity
and scale of actions increases the activist will gain astounding
self-confidence and will probably wait eagerly for the next
action!

There is nothing special, or unusual, about people that
have decided to take up direct action, and they shouldn’t be seen as
martyrs; this will only perpetuate an image of activists being
super-human. They are ordinary people who are compassionate and want
change NOW; just like me and YOU! Activists come from all different
“class” and “cultural” backgrounds, and age anything from 16 to 90!
And despite what some may think probably half the people who have
taken up direct action are women; some extremely successful raids
and actions have been carried out exclusively by women proving once
and for all there is nothing “macho” about direct action.

The
worst error people make when contemplating whether to take up direct
action or not, is vastly underestimating their own potential. One
activist, carrying out actions over months, never mind years, could
rescue 100’s of animals and cause literally 100’s of 1000’s of
pounds worth of damage to animal abusers.

By regularly going out
and taking direct action, instead of sitting at home or going down
the pub, or whatever else we have let take place above Animal
Liberation, we can literally change the world.

UNITE AND
FIGHT

It would be nice to think that we are getting along well as
a movement as we are, and that we can carry on as we have been for a
long time and then maybe we’ll get some sort of victory, but then
maybe we won’t. What we would like to express most of all in this
booklet is the belief that it’s time for radical change, that
there’s no way we can carry on as we have been for the last 20
years. Far from wanting to condemn actions/activists in the past, or
wishing to sound like we’re in the know, we simply don’t want to see
people making the same errors that have been made in the past. After
all, that is what a successful long term movement is all about –
PROGRESS.

In terms of progress, our speed of change could be
substantially improved if we unite with other movements, that are
essentially the same. For too long many people within the Animal
Liberation movement have isolated themselves from other movements
and radical ideas; we hate the tunnel vision shown by so many people
in the “general public”, yet we must be careful not to fall into
that trap ourselves! The Peace movements; and Class War groups are
often working for radical ideas, and have a direct action element,
but it is the Anti-Fascist groups and environmental groups that we
arguably have the most obvious bonds with. THEIR struggle is OUR
struggle. If we were to cross over our actions from simply those of
Animal Liberation, and widen our scopes of ATTACK then not only are
we likely to have a ripple effect of increased activity across the
spectrum of revolutionary movements, but we would also increase our
chances of remaining underground. This is because the police will
look to legal animal rights groups if an action of Animal Liberation
occurs and likewise they’ll look to legal Anti-Fascist groups if a
skinhead’s house is trashed, for instance; whereas hopefully it
would be a cross-section of an ever-increasing number of activists
who are unknown to the police, working out of their home areas, for
Total Liberation!

Environmental actions are arguably the most
urgently required because of the global mass destruction that is
taking place around us to every known ecosystem in the world:
there’s no point in Animal/Human Liberation if there isn’t a world
to live in! Besides, we cannot achieve any Liberation without
recognising the whole world around us is really a fragile single
living organism. In North and South America there are more and more
illegal effective actions to save various ecosystems, or to
stop/destroy those forces responsible for destruction. It isn’t
coincidence that many of these actions are carried out by people
(particularly native Indians) who have seen most of their culture
literally raped, and whose traditional land and way of life is being
threatened by multi-national beef, coffee, sugar, tea, or cocoa
producers (who in turn are controlled and owned by powerful Western
capitalist scum). Earth First! groups in the U.S.A. have had a wide
range of successes, as can be seen reading their newsletters, that
are as thick as newspapers! The Earth Liberation movement in the UK.
hasn’t reached these levels of illegal activity yet; but there are
more and more actions taking place, and with a united attack we
could see vast changes.

There have been a lot of victories in the
past in movements to shake up the garbage dump the scum have turned
this planet into, and create a better place for all to live, but we
have just begun. Let’s consider previous successes as battles won,
and consider today is the start of the war, where we fight for what
we want while we can.

SETTING OUR
SIGHTS ON THE FUTURE

After reading this, it would be great to think that
everyone has at least thought about what they want to do for Animal
Liberation, even if they do not agree with all of the ideas in this
booklet. Maybe more of us will release more literature and videos,
etc. within the movement; new ideas can never do harm if they
promote action and are not divisive.

We KNOW that there are
animals being abused, mutilated poisoned and killed as we read this.
We KNOW how serious the task of Animal Liberation is. We KNOW that
an answer to the problem must be complete and utter destruction to
the abusers, and we also KNOW that the scum will retaliate with all
they’ve got when faced with Animal Liberation. So let’s not betray
the animals – our DEDICATION is their ONLY hope.

DON’T put this
booklet down and think “that was an interesting little read, now
I’ll go and have a pint”. There’s a war out there and we should all
be fighting in it!